Royal Mail Delivery Alterations to Commence Tomorrow as Part of Extensive Overhaul
Starting from July 28, 2022, Royal Mail has changed its delivery schedule for Second Class letters to alternate weekdays only, Monday to Friday, with no delivery on Saturdays. This means Second Class mail will be delivered three days one week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and two days the next week (Tuesday, Thursday) in a two-week cycle, instead of the previous six days a week schedule. Despite fewer delivery days, Second Class letters will still be delivered within three working days of collection.
This shift in delivery schedule aims to reduce costs and improve service sustainability, estimated to save Royal Mail between £250 million and £425 million annually. The changes were authorized by the regulator Ofcom in response to industry challenges and reflect a shift prioritizing reliability and affordability over delivery speed for Second Class mail.
While Second Class delivery has been altered, First Class mail delivery remains six days a week with next-day delivery, Monday to Saturday. However, delivery targets have been adjusted, lowering the Second Class target from 98.5% to 95% within three days, and introducing a new target of 99% of mail being delivered no more than two days late. On the other hand, the First Class target has been raised from 90% to 93% next-day delivery.
It's important to note that the changes do not affect the prices of First Class or Second Class stamps for letters. However, the cost of a first-class stamp increased by 5p in April, now costing £1.70, and the cost of posting a first-class large letter up to 100g is £3.15, up from £2.60. There is no mention of changes in the cost of delivering first-class small parcels weighing up to 2kg or second-class parcels in this paragraph.
Under current Universal Service Obligation (USO) rules, Royal Mail is required to deliver letters and parcels to all UK addresses at a uniform price, regardless of location. This obligation also requires Royal Mail to deliver parcels on five days from Monday to Friday.
Many people have experienced long delays where letters have taken weeks to arrive. If you have stories or tips to share about this topic, you can join the Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group.
[1] Ofcom (2022). Royal Mail: Delivery changes to save £250m-£425m a year. [online] Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/royal-mail-delivery-changes-save-250m-425m-a-year
[2] Royal Mail (2022). Royal Mail announces new delivery schedule for Second Class mail. [online] Available at: https://www.royalmail.com/news-centre/announcements/2022/royal-mail-announces-new-delivery-schedule-for-second-class-mail
[4] BBC News (2022). Royal Mail to cut Second Class delivery to three days a week. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61858256
- The changes made to Royal Mail's delivery schedule are part of an industry-wide effort to reduce costs and improve service sustainability, with the aim to save between £250 million and £425 million annually, as authorized by the finance regulator Ofcom.
- In the realm of business, Royal Mail has adjusted its Second Class mail delivery schedule to three days a week, with a focus on reliability and affordability, while First Class mail delivery continues to be six days a week with next-day delivery.
